Gospel LK 12:13-21
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”
He replied to him,
“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”
Then he said to the crowd,
“Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one’s life does not consist of possessions.”
Then he told them a parable.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, ‘What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?’
And he said, ‘This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’
But God said to him,
‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God.”
Reflection:
It seems that the philosophy “more is better” was prevalent in Jesus time too. The rich man built bigger barns to store more grain to assure that he would be safe from running short.
Human nature hasn’t changed much in 2000 years.
I have a closet full of long sleeved shirts, another closet full of short sleeved shirts and a third full of coats, along with enough shoes and boots for a small army.
Every so often, I weed through it all, fill a bag with gently used clothes, shoes, and boots and donate it to a charity.
Between gifts received from family and friends at Christmas and birthdays, the closets are soon filled again.
I recently made a decision to delete myself from the email lists of retailers that put me on their advertising blasts because I happened to make a purchase at one of their stores.
Their advertisements all convey the same message:
“Buy More! Whether you need it or not, buy more.”
“But God said to him, (and to me)
‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God.”
So, what are the treasures that “matter to God?”
Jesus spells out what matters to God in Matthew 25: 36-37:
“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
Whether it’s the ten dollars you slip to a stranger pushing a shopping cart or pulling over to help someone whose car is broken down, God will always reward you with the joy that comes from an unselfish act.
God wants the best for us. He knows that true happiness is the inner joy we experience when we “feed” someone if they are hungry, “welcome” someone who is new, or “clothe” someone who is naked.
“When deciding how much to give to others in the name of God, always be sure you are accused of give too much rather than giving too little; God will not be outdone in generosity.” Unknown